Kennedy

[Marisa]

I am going to be honest I don't really ever think of Kennedy. Besides for her being bratty to me I don't really remember her at all out of my shows. Now when watching it is not so much her relationship with Willow although I think she was annoying and not good enough for Willow.

I think the thing about Kennedy is like I said she was annoying but it was also that she was just a plot device. Every character is a plot device but sometimes you get some really good ones that go beyond that and make an impression. She just didn't really do that. I never think oh hey remember Kennedy? Unless it is in a discussion and talking Willow.

 

[shajs]

I'm new to the fandom, and I just finished watching Buffy for the first time a couple of days ago. So, when I finally googled 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer discussion' I was pretty shocked by some things I found... all the Kennedy hate being one of them. (Xander hate, also, but it's a matter for another thread.)

I don't really get it. I agree on some things people point out when they bash; she clearly isn't like Tara personality-wise, and she does sort of push Willow to dating her. She does take pleasure from being the oldest Potential in the house and seems pretty self-centered. But she's smart and capable, and I think, given more time, she would have shown her worth. I mean, there are barely any real reasons for us to dislike her. At least that's the impression I got from the 'let's bash Kennedy' threads. People actually admitted that the only reason they hate Kennedy is because she isn't Tara!

I'm not a fan of hers, not really. She isn't given much screen time and we don't get to know her. But bashing her because she gives Willow some happiness after Tara's death - just, what's wrong with people?

I don't mean to say people should like her, either. I just think that bashing her seems to be far too popular since we don't really get to know her at all. It's not very nice to hate people on appearances only... and what comes to her not being Tara, well, how would we have reacted if she had been exactly like Tara? She was awesome, and I love her, and I truly think that she and Willow were a perfect match. But if Kennedy had been like Tara she would have felt like a poor replacement, a lame copy of the sweet, sweet witch and not a person of her own at all. Personally, I think it would have been worse.

Kennedy and Willow's relationship did feel badly written and rushed, but it was nice that Willow got someone to take care of her when she was feeling down. I don't think their relationship was about anything more than comfort and feeling good; it was pretty clear that they weren't seriously in love (their scenes didn't have the feel Willow and Tara's scenes had). It was all Willow could offer, and I didn't get the feeling like Kennedy excepted anything else from her. The whole relationship was about Willow moving on in life; something that was necessary. It would have been heart-breaking to see her clinging to her dead girlfriend, especially when it was the last season. And besides, we can hardly judge people for moving on 'too fast'; a relative of mine lost his wife he had been married to for over 30 years and, under half a year later, he found someone else. It was amazing: people were afraid he would die out of grief but he dealt with those feelings and kept living. It's probably the bravest thing a person can do after losing the significant other. I wish people thought about these things before making snide comments about someone moving on too fast. It's not like they forget about their past and the person they loved, it just means that they are brave enough to face the world without said person on their side.

 

[white avenger]

Probably the major reason that there is so little love lost over Kennedy is that we actually had so little time to accept her "place" in what would be considered the hierarchy of the show. Riley was introduced and come to accept and at least tolerate, if mot actually like, over the course of several months before actually entering the Slayer's inner circle. Spike took literally years to evolve from major villain to hero, lover, defender, and, ultimately, Champion. (Angel doesn't really count here, because he was introduced at the very beginning, and was therefore, obviously, part of the original team).

Kennedy shows up and immediately announces that she intends to sleep with Willow, then proceeds, in no subtle fashion whatsoever, to make it quite clear that she is not only interested in, but is totally determined, to have a serious relationship with her. (Luckily, Willow is, herself, gay, and receptive, if reluctantly so, to the younger girl's advances) It's just too much, too fast. Add to that, her overly aggressive, one might even say defiant, attitude toward Buffy and her authority, and it just all combines to create an irritating little b**ch who should have been drowned at birth or soon thereafter.

Ultimately, aside from the gay bit, Kennedy could be considered the Season 7 Dawn.

 

[sylvanscribe]

I honestly liked, or at least tolerated, Kennedy. She had drive, she had brains, she had spunk. She had looks. 😉 She was probably the only Potential who seemed like she could survive before they all got their Slayer powers.

Kennedy was a strong woman. I agree there was a bit of brat in her that was annoying. But, my gods, after watching all our characters mope in Season 6, it was good to see a strong female lead (one that didn't flay people alive and want to end the world out of depression). If Buffy is about female empowerment, here is a girl who embodied it and was worthy of her gift of slayer powers.

I'm not sure what to say on her relationship with Willow. You either like it or you don't. I agree it did seem kind of forced. But as I never cared for Tara, I don't take umbrage over it either. Basically, if they wanted to have some scenes of Willow and Kennedy kissing, I was fine with that, but I saw more to the character than just serving as Tara's replacement.

 

[Mr Giles]

She was an arrogant little b. She just assumed lead role of the potentials, even though she wasnt the most skilled out of them, and her lack of skill and big headedness almost got them all killed in Touched(or possibly end of days?) When she attemped to take on UberVamp.

Also, in the episode when she's putting the potentials through their training, calling them maggots and 'drop and give me twenty' etc, who does she think she is!!!

Yeah, she could have done with being taken down a peg or two.

 

[ashleigh]

I neither like or dislike Kennedy, or any of the other slayers. They were all just there. Sometimes I wish they weren't.

The only reason I might dislike Kennedy a little is because she was Tara's replacement. Had she not have been, I would have had as few feelings about her as the rest of the potentials.